Research and Information Fluency

Information Literacy is the ability to identify what information is needed, understand how the information is organized, identify the best sources of information for a given need, locate those sources, evaluate the sources critically, and share that information. It is the knowledge of commonly used research techniques.

IMSA 21st Century Information Fluency Project - Search Help for Students of All Ages
Information Literacy - Activities from Regina Public School Division
21st Century Literacies Homepage
Workshop Supplementary Handbook - A pdf authored by Alan November

Students apply digital tools to gather, evaluate, and use information.
Students:

Plan strategies to guide inquiry.
Locate, organize, analyze, evaluate, synthesize, and ethically use information from a variety of sources and media.
Evaluate and select information sources and digital tools based on the appropriateness to specific tasks.
Process data and report results.

Identify A Topic

Select suitable topic

What do you want to know about a topic?
Developing a question from a broad topic can be done in many ways, including brainstorming and concept mapping

Broaden and narrow
Identify key concepts and words

Prepare for searching by identifying the central concepts in your research question.
List synonyms and related terms in order to effectively search. A computer search cannot "guess" as to your intended topic.

Databases

Search Engines
Subject Directories
Library Collection
Human Resources
Primary vs. Secondary Sources

Citation

Locating Sources

Understand library collections and services
Understand how to locate sources using library classification systems such as Dewey Decimal and Library of Congress

Evaluate the content, author, and publisher to determine potential biases and validity of the content

What are the author's credentials?
institutional affiliation (where he or she works), educational background, past writings, or experience? Is the book or article written on a topic in the author's area of expertise? Use the various Who's Who publications or use online sources to help determine the author's affiliation and credentials.
What other works had the author written?
Search catalogs or databases. Have you seen the author's name cited in other sources or bibliographies? Respected authors are cited frequently by other scholars. For this reason, always note those names that appear in many different sources.
Is the author associated with a reputable institution or organization?

Decide whether or not an information source is useful in the context of your research

Overview

Hoax Sites